Q. At the age of 50 my brother-in-law has discovered a talent for acting and singing. He has joined a local amateur dramatics society and often takes a leading role. This new dimension in his life has meant the world to him and his self-confidence has soared. Theatre is not our thing, but as my husband and I live in the same town we feel it incumbent to be loyal and attend at least one performance of a run. The small venue tends to become quite warm and stuffy and, with the best will in the world, my hard-working husband finds it difficult not to nod off, especially if he has commuted to and from London that day. The audience is fairly small so anyone not engaged can be clearly seen from the stage and, if I keep nudging him, I can be seen doing so. I really don’t want to undermine morale. What can I do, Mary?
– Name withheld, Dorset
A. Old-fashioned smelling salts by Mackenzies can still be bought (or ordered) from Boots. Place an open bottle inside a bag of, say, Werther’s Originals and use sleight of hand to appear to be offering your husband a sweet but actually be waving the smelling salts under his nose. They will jolt him immediately from his stupor. Stock up on these because they contain ammonia, so they are bound to be banned soon.
Q. Now that it’s spring I am longing to spend some time in the country. My best friend from school often invites us to stay in her cottage but she is very competitive.
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